Clockwork



Jan. 27, 1925- 1,524,178

M. HILDEBRAND CLOCXWORK Filed April 12, 1922 3 Sheets-$heet l All muy

Jan. 27, 1925. I 1,524,178

^ M. HILDEBRAND lIYiIIlIIl M @www Jan'. 27, 1925.- 1,524,175

' M. HILDEBRAND CLOCKWORK Filed pril 12, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet :s

Fig-5.

UNITED STATES Patented Jan. 27, 1925. j"

PATENT OFFICE.

CLOCKWORK.

Application filed April 12, 1922. Serial No. 551,998.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MAX HILDEBRAND, a citizen of the German Republic, residing at Augsburg, Germany, have invented certa-in new and useful Improvements in Glockworks, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a clockwork, all the lparts of which, with the exception of the shafts and springs are made according to the process for casting molte-n metal under pres sure and are of peculiar moulding on account of the manufacturing process.

1For making the manufacturing of clocks more rational the tendency has prevailed hitherto to simplify the clockwork. This measure'alone is however not sufficient to ensure the greatest economy in the manufacturing as the working of the individual parts and the putting together of the same is fa: cilitated only in the measure determined by the reduction of the elements.

According to this invention an economy in the manufacturing of clocks is realized in a. degree which has not been dreamed of, by applying the process of casting molten metal under pressure. The elements of the clockwork are produced in one simple operation in the final shape if the said process is used. Certain elements, which have hitherto been composed of different parts can now be made in one piece and by one single operation. For putting together a clockwork composed of these improved elements it is merely necessary to insert the sets of wheels and the speed :regulator between the frame plates, to put the dial in place and to insert, if desired, the clockwork in a. casing.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood, I shall proceed to describe the same with reference to the two forms of construction shown, by way of example, on the accompanying drawing, wherein Figs. 1 and 2 show the first form of construction respectively in elevation and in section.

Fig. 2a shows in detail the sprocket wheel y 18 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2b shows in detail the wheel 11 of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 2 shows in detail the trigger 12b of Fig. 4.

Figs. 3 to 6 show as second form of construction an eight days clock work with a spring as winding up device.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the clockwork, the spring barrel being partly shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a4 vertical section through the clockwork.

Fig. 5 shows the regulating device on enlarged scale in elevation.

Fig. 6 is a` section on line A-B of Fig. 5-

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the sets of wheels of the clockwork are mounted in two frame plates 1 and 2 in which the bearings for the journals of the wheel shafts are produced by casting. Spacing pins 3, 4, 5, upon which the dial is to be fixed and spacing pins 6, '7, 8 terminating in journals and designed for the fixing of the fra-me plate 2 are cast on the frame plate 1. Upon the surface of frame plate 1 turned towards the dial a journa-l 9 for the change wheel. and acalotte 10 are cast on further, said calotte being designed for the shaft of the minute wheel.

Owing to the provision of the calotte 10 the quarter-wheel 25 can be keyed upon that part of the shaft for the minute wheel which is enclosed between the two frame plates, said quarter wheel 25 meshing with the change wheel 27 mounted upon the journal 9 and serving to transmit the movement of the hour wheel.

In consequence of the form of construction of the frame plates which has been described, the shaft for the minute wheel with the sprocket wheel, and the minute wheel with the quarter wheel can be each made in one piece to be mounted, together with the additional wheel, the anchor wheel and the regulator. between the frame plates, the change wheel and the hour wheel with the hour tube being pushed linally upon the journal 9 and upon the shaft 19 of the minute wheel.

The only work to be done on the frame plates, besides the drilling of the holes for the split pins 26, consist-s in the cutting of a. female thread in each frame plate for the screwing in of the. center-points 11 and 12 between which the speed regulator is mounted. The speed regulator 13 is constructed like a beam mounted upon the anchor shaft and suspended to the spring 14 so that it can oscillate in a perpendicular plane. The speed of they clockwork is regulated by the spring 14. The tensioning screw of the spring 14 is guided in a hole of the spacing p The movement of the clock consists of the anchor wheel 15 with pinion, the intermediary wheel'li` with pinion7 and thefininute wheel 17 with the sprocket wheel 1S.. rThe anchor wheel l5 withpinior. and t-he intermediary wheel with pinion aire so constructed that the hubs of these wheels merge directly into the pinions and are cast together with the pinion on the shafts. The sprocket wheel 18 ,is constructed in the usual manner and has on it-s side turned towards'the minute wheel al steel disk aA with two elastic tlaps c, obtained b'y-sta-nipino, and which engage with axial teeth of the minute wheel 17. The minute wheel and its sprocket wheel are loosely mounted upon the shattlf) and pressed the one against the other or against the adjusting collar Q1 or the shaft "19 by the act-ion of spring 2() which is insuitable for this element.

serted between the minute wheel and the hub of the quarter wheel 25 keyed upon the shaft 19.

f In this manner there is insured on the one hand a friction coupling between the minute .wheel and its shaft which .is necessary for the regulation of the. clock, and on the other hand the proper working of the spring triggerinounted upon the sprocket wheel.

The sprocket wheel is constructed in the usual manner, It hasr upon its surface turned towards the minute wheel al steel disk @with two elastic flaps c obtained by stamping which engage with'an axial toothing b ot the minute wheel 17. This axial toothing of the minute wheel is not maille of squirted cast as such material would not be The toothing is punched out of an iron disk which is cast into the minute wheel.

The minute .hand is mounted directly upon the square of the shaft of the minute wheel. transmitted from the shaft of Athe minute wheel by the intermediaryv of the change wheel 27 and transferred to the hour wheel 23 which is castI in one piece with the hour tube 24 by squirted casting.

Referring to Figs. to 6 the sets of wheels :ofthe clockwork are mounted between two fra-me plates l, 2 in which the journal bearings Vfor the wheel shafts are cast. I Upon vt-he front plate l the spring barrel 3, the spacing pins for fixing the dial and the pin rfor'iixing the frame plate 2 are cast on.

f The frame plate 2 has, besides the journal Vbearings and the. holes for the reception of the spacing p ins7 a slit et for the adjustment Yof theguide spring 22 of the speed regulator.

f The spring barrel-3 is` formed V'like a` cap- .,sule closedat the front part and open at the back. ln the journal bearing 5 which is cast -on-'centrically the spring shaft 6 is guided, the square end 6a of which serves for vthe winding up of the spring, projects at thefront side of the clockwork.

The fact that the barre] is'cast according The movement of the hour hand isY constructed as usual.

to the process of casting molten metal under .pressure permits a. xation of t-he spring 7 Vthe inain spring 7. The intermediary spring 7 a is thus held, so to say,.in two ar-V ticulations so that the end of the main spring has free play in radial direction` It .the main spring is put completely under tension its end can loe in close contact with the last spiral winding, whilst on `the other. hand at the unwindingcf the spring .the several layers of the: spring canadapt themselves to the inner. surfacev Vot the casing in the shape of a reo'ular spiral.

The losses from 'friction between dividual windings of the winding up spring are reduced to the minimum by this accurato guiding. The cover plate 10,01 the barrel acts in the same sense. This cover .plate is loosely placed Vupon the stepped springshaft Gand the.circumference of the cover plate engages with slight play in a circular groove 3a of the spring barrel 3. If at the unwind- 'ing ot' the spring some'ot the windings should be pressed against thecover plate l0 this cover plate can participate .in` the revolving movementof the spring windings whereby the loss of power resulting'from the sliding .friction of the spring spirals getherot the spring barrel the. boringfot the cover plate has an opening 10a which corresponds in 'size with the spring pin 6b, .so that the springshatt 6 can be inserted after the spring has been .pushed on to thebarrel and-after the cover plate l() has been put upon .the-barrel.

.The spring wheel ll `:driven bythe spring is'not rigidly Aconnected with Athe-shaft 6 but by means of the trigger `w-hielris The teeth with which the trigger Aengages are however not cast into the toothed wheel 1l but stampe-dinto an iron disk 1Qa which is cast/Minto the toothed wheel ,11. The spring wheel ll meshes with avrpinionlr cast `in one piece with the minute wheel lll and looselymountedupon the. shaft l5 of the minute wheel.

The coupling between the minute wheel 14 and its shaft l5 is eiiected in the well known manner bythe sp-ring- 16 acting as 17. The minuteL wheel. meshes in the well the'in! known manner with the pinion of the auxiliary .wheel 18 which in its turn meshes with the pinion of the anchor wheel 19.

The mutual displacement of the shafts of the auxiliary wheel and of the anchor wheel with regard to the ve-rtical through the axis of the speed regulator is important on account of the mount-ing of the spring 21 for the speed regulator. The minute wheel with its pinion, the auxiliary wheel with its pinion and the anchor wheel with its pinion are all cast in one piece by squirted casting and cast on their shafts.

The speed regulator is constructed like a beam and consists of the two-armed lever 2O with the fly weights 23; it is fixed, together with the anchor 2st, upon the shaft 25. The two ends 26 of the shaft 25 are shaped like knife edges in such a manner that the knife edges coincide with the middle line of the shaft. The knife edges rest in two bearings 27 which are worked into the bea-ring plates 28 screwed upon the outer surfaces of the frame plates.

Care has to be taken that the edges along which the knife edges are in contact with the bearings be situated in the axis of the borings of the frame plates into which projects the shaft 25 of the speed regulator. The borings of the lframe plates have a slightly greater diameter than the shaft of the speed regulator so that this shaft, supported exclusively by the knife edges can move without friction in the borings of the frame plates which serve merely to prevent the knife edges from jumping out of the bearings in case the clockwork should be shaken.

The axial play of the bearing of the speed regulator is limited by the cover plates 29 which cover the bearings 27 from the Ioutside. In order to reduce as much as possible the friction which could occur eventually between the ends of the knife edges and the cover plates, the ends of the knife edges are bevelled towards the back so that they can come in contact with the hardened cover plates only with the point which is situated in the middle axis yof the shaft.

An elastic steel wire 21 serves as spring for regulating the oscillations of the beam, said steel wire being inserted into a vertical boring 30 of the shaft of the speed regulator and fixed in the same by wedges. The other end of the steel wire is guided in a spring guide 22 whose distance from the shaft of the regulator is adjustable. This spring guide is formed by an angular sheet metal piece one arm of which is bent over parallel with the shaft of the regulator and provided with a slit 22a in which the spring is guided, the other arm being in contact with the frame plate and riveted together with a bolt 31 adjustable in a vertical slit 4 of the plate of the frame. The bolt and with it the angular sheet metal piece are pressed against the plate of the frame by the elastic plate 22b which is fixed upon the bolt by the pin 32.

By vertical displacement of the spring guide 22 the useful length of the steel wire 21 can be varied and the direction of each oscillation of the speed regulator and consequently the rate of the clock can thus be regulated. Another measure, connected with the construction of t-he speed regulator, consists in that the shafts of the anchor wheel and of the intermediary wheel are mutually displaced with regard to the vertical middle line so far that they do not impede the play of spring 21.

I claim 1. In a clockwork in combination a frame plate, bearings for the journals of the wheel shafts, spacing pins for the fixing of the dial, spacing pins termina-ting in journals and designed for the fixing of a second frame plate, a journal -for the shaft of the minute wheel, a bracket for the shaft of the centre wheel and the spring barrel all these parts being made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure,` an escape wheel and its pinion made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure, a fourth wheel and its pinion made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure, a centre wheel and its cannon pinion made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure, a minute wheel and its pinion made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure and an hour wheel with its hour tube made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure.

2. In a clockwork in combination a frame plate, bearings 'for the journals of the wheel shafts, spacing pins for the fixing of the dial, spacing pins terminating in journals and designed for the fixing of a second frame plate. a journal for the shaft of the minute wheel, a bracket for the shaft of the centre wheel and the spring barrel all these parts being made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure, an escape wheel and its pinion made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure, a fourth wheel and its pinion made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure, a centre wheel and its canon pinion made in one piece according to the process `of casting molten metal under pressure. a minute wheel and its pinion made in one piece according to the process of casting molten metal under pressure, a steel disk cast in the sprocket Wheel of the minute wheel facing said centre Wheel and havg an axial toothing obtamed by stamping, an hour wheel Wlth lts hour tube made in onerplece aeoordmg t0 steel disk.

f1.4 Y A1,524,178

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presenceY of two wvtnesses.

` VMAX HILDEBRAND.

lVitnesses Y NIKOLAUs ZORN. PAUL SEIDEL. 

